KOTA KINABALU: Sabah palm industry aims to achieve full Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification .
Deputy Minister of Plantation and Commodities Datuk Chan Foong Hin said that Sabah is the second-largest palm oil-producing state in Malaysia.
"Sabah significantly contributes to the state's revenue through the collection of State Sales Tax (CJN) on crude palm oil.
"During my official working visit to the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) Sabah Regional Office last Friday, I received a briefing and explanation regarding the current situation of the palm oil industry in Sabah.
"As of December 31, 2023, the total area of oil palm plantations in Sabah is 1.63 million hectares, with a total of 33,074 estates and smallholders.
"Among them, the Sandakan District has the largest area and is also the major contributor to the exported palm oil production, totaling 2.11 million metric tons until December 2023," he said in a statement.
To date, 80 percent of Sabah palm oil plantations have achieved MSPO Certification in Sabah.
"However, this rate is still slightly behind the overall MSPO rate in Malaysia, which is 92.42 per cent.
"I hope that with the excellent cooperation between the Ministry and MPOB Sabah Region, the palm oil industry in Sabah will achieve full MSPO certification status, ensuring the reputation of Malaysian palm oil products on the world stage."